Music School, Acoustic Cafe to open
Mande Music School back in session
4–12-year-old classes resume January 12th
Designed to harness that child-like improvisational energy that has children drumming on tables, desks, themselves and one another, the Mande Music School puts jenbe and dunun drums in children’s hands and allows them to play as they learn the polyrhythms of the Mande Diaspora of West Afrika. Although learning is centered on the jenbe and dunun, children also are introduced and work with the krin, from the forrest regions of Guinea, the Nigerian slit drum, and the conga, played to perfection in Cuba.give it a jenbé drum focus. Students are taught the basic techniques of ensemble hand drumming, and are schooled in the social awareness necessary to play in ensemble. The instruction simulates traditional Guinean learning styles that rely on ear training and melodic relationship placement, meaning the students must improve their listening skills, and develop their hand-ear coordination.
The Mande Music School is for children 4–5, and 6–12 years-old. Workshops meet on Saturdays, from 10–10:45PM for the four and five-year-olds; and 11AM-12:30PM for 6–12 year-olds.
Acoustic SpokenWord Café opens 1/12/13
Michael Patterson to open ASWC 2nd half
Good news! The Acoustic SpokenWord Café re-opens January 12th featuring the incomparable Michael F. Patterson on guitar, and reading some of his well-crafted poetry and short stories. Jordan Chaney, a Three Rivers Jenbe Ensemble founding member, will read from selections of her writing in her debut performance as a writer. The Café will be open from 7 to 10PM on the second and fourth Saturday of each month between January and June.
The Café is dedicated to providing local talent with artspace to engage, create, collaborate, present, and perform their work. The artist may be a writer, musician, singer, dancer, actor, painter, graffiti artist, or even academic interested in giving people information about their area of passion. Whatever the art form, at ASWC we guarantee that their presentation will be received by an audience that will be attuned to their presentation.
ASWC means to explore and stimulate a cross-cultural exchange in the arts community and bring patrons downtown who otherwise may not visit venues in the city’s heart. Most evenings consist of mixed genre presentations by two artists–a musical act, and a poet–plus the very popular Open Mic session.
Genres presented since the Café opened in 2009 have included poetry, rap, short stories, novels, acoustic and electric jazz, blues, gospel, folk, traditional Native American flute, Afrikan drumming, and film. The Café caters mainly to adults, although young people are encouraged to come and share their talent and cultural gifts as well.
| Featured artist: | Musician/writer Michael F. Patterson |
| Featured artist: | Poet Jordan Ariel Chaney |
| Open Mic: | Artists register at the door |
| Date: | Saturday, January 12, 2013 |
| Time: | 7-10PM |
| Admission: | $5.00 |
| Venue: | Acoustic SpokenWord Café |
| Location: | 501 E. Brackenridge Street |
